


Okay For Now

by SweetSinger2010



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25626016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetSinger2010/pseuds/SweetSinger2010
Summary: Hera worries about Jacen. Sabine bucks her up.
Relationships: Hera Syndulla & Jacen Syndulla, Hera Syndulla & Sabine Wren
Comments: 7
Kudos: 44





	Okay For Now

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this is a mess, but I wanted to write again, so here we are. Enjoy a little bit of mommy Hera!

Okay For Now

Hera was in that dozy space between waking and sleeping when she rolled over and felt the warmth of a body next to hers. She inhaled sharply, unnerved; there had been a time in her life when she could barely sleep through the subtle noises of the _Ghost's_ power cycle, never mind a whole other person (albeit a small one) creeping into her bed.

She hummed and slid a hand over to work her fingers through his tangled hair. She blinked awake and found those perfect teal eyes watching her. She'd seen every expression that there could possibly be in those eyes, and still her heart swelled when he looked at her this way—like she was the best mom in the entire galaxy.

"Hey, love," she murmured, smiling.

"Hey." He nudged her foot with his own. "Sit up."

Hera gave a fake groan and complied, and he pounced on her in an instant. Little legs locked around her waist and little arms wound around her neck. One little hand found the end of her lek, holding softly. "G'morning, mama."

They were nose-to-nose. She kissed his. "Good morning, Jacen."

He laid his head on her shoulder and pulled her to the side, cuing her to rock him the way she had since he was only hours old. It was a routine soothing for them both. For a split second, Hera's eyes grew misty; he was bigger than he'd ever been, but he wasn't quite four years old yet, and he was still so small. She was afraid he'd had too much General Syndulla in his life and not enough mama. She had briefings and a test-flight scheduled for today; she'd cancel.

"Hey guess what?" Hera swallowed past the lump in her throat. Mommy-guilt was hard to overcome. "We're going to have a day just all by ourselves."

Jacen bolted up. "We're _WHAT!_ " His eyes were huge and his cheeks flushed brilliant pink. "You're not kiddin?"

"Nope!"

He jumped in the middle of the bed, whooping his excitement. Then he plopped down, throwing himself across Hera's lap. "What we're gonna do?"

"You tell me," Hera answered with a grimace. His bony elbow was digging into her thigh.

He peered into her face, upside down. "Can we go see the general?"

She fought an eye roll. During a visit to Ryloth, Jacen had overheard someone heatedly refer to Cham as "the almighty general," and he thought it sounded cool. It had taken months and months to get him to drop "the almighty."

"Your _grandfather_ is busy doing dangerous work right now," Hera sighed. "But how about soon?"

"Soon," Jacen agreed. He paused. "What about Bean?" Hera opened her mouth to say no, but he anticipated this and cut her off. "Please mama pleeeeeeeease can we go see Bean? It's been too too long and Lofal just is only two 'secs away."

Hera sighed. Two _hundred_ parsecs was more like it, which wouldn't be any distance at all if she wasn't afraid that the _Ghost's_ hyperdrive was on the verge of a burnout and—

"Bean can help you fix it, mama." Jacen spoke softly, his gaze as wise and patient as his father's. Fine hairs prickled on the back of Hera's neck; he'd known without asking what her worries were. It wasn't the first time she'd thought he may be gifted in the Force...

"Mama, _pleeeeeaaaaassseee_ can we go see Bean?" Jacen continued to plead, oblivious to her inner struggles. Strained, she smiled.

"Go pick some clothes. I'll call and warn Lothal we're coming," she said dryly. Jacen didn't hear anything after _go_ , though. He was already gone, shrieking his jubilation as he ran down _Ghost's_ halls.

* * *

"Look at yoooouuu!" Shadows fled the Mandalorian's face as soon as Jacen bounded off the _Ghost's_ ramp and into her arms. "How'd you get so big?"

Jacen was wrapped tightly around Sabine. "My mama makes me eat that nasty green stuff," he whispered in her ear.

"Oh, Hera!" Sabine cried dramatically. "How could you? Vegetables are _terrible_ for little boys."

"Yeah, _mama_."

Hera struck an authoritative pose and arched an eyebrow. "Do I need to ground you both?"

"No, m'am." They answered in unison and Jacen giggled. Then he went limp and dropped out of Sabine's grasp, running to the tower-turned-living-quarters. He loved Lothal's open plains as much as he loved open space. The two women followed at a distance, keeping a leisurely place.

"Hera," Sabine said after they'd walked a little way. "He looks _so_ much like Kanan." Her voice wavered. Time had softened the loss, but the pain was still there.

A non-committal hum was Hera's only reply for a long moment, but her stomach dropped. "Maybe he's too much like Kanan," she answered finally.

Sabine stopped and turned sharply. "What? What do you mean?"

"I-" She shook her head. "I"m worried."

The young Mandalorian snorted and took a few steps forward. She came to rest at the base of the tower, which Jacen was running circles around with Chopper in pursuit, and sank into the soft grass. "That's nothing new. Kanan used to say that was your default setting."

Hera either didn't hear or ignored the good-natured jab. "This is different." Unceremoniously, she dropped on the ground in front of Sabine, sitting cross-legged. "If he's _too_ much like Kanan, I can't protect him."

Sabine squinted, trying to understand. "You mean...if he's gifted with the Force." She sighed; she'd worried about that herself before, thinking about how they'd lost Kanan and Ezra. Considering what had happened to them and to the Jedi Order, it was hard not to wonder if the Force was a death sentence more than a gift. "Is he, do you think?"

"I don't know. Maybe." Jacen ran by then, laughing at Chopper's antics, and he stopped only long enough to peck a kiss on Hera's and Sabine's cheeks. Hera bit her lip, watching him disappear. "Kanan would know what to do."

Sabine laughed out loud. "Are you serious? Hera, come _on_." The Twi'lek frowned, but it wasn't severe enough to keep Sabine from continuing. "Do you remember what it was like when he first started training Ezra? What a karking disaster. He didn't have any more confidence with that than you do with trying to navigate Jacen's possible Force-sensitivity. Maybe even less."

"But he had _me_ ," Hera said, voice quavering, "and I-" She shook her head and swiped away unwelcome tears. "I'm a single mom."

"Yeah, and you're _rocking_ it. Hera-look at him."

Hera sighed, watching as Jacen made his way back around the front of the tower. This time, he was perched on Chopper's dome, balanced precariously. The old astromech moved slowly, careful not to upset his precious cargo. Jacen's face was flushed, his eyes shining, his laughter raucous. He knew nothing of worry, fear, or loss. Not bad, Hera had to admit, for a fatherless child growing up in the middle of a war.

"He's perfect," she whispered.

"He's going to be just fine. I know it. And the Force thing? You and he will figure it out when you need to, just like Kanan did." Sabine stood and extended a hand to Hera, helping her up. "Also, you're not alone. You might be a single mom, but you're definitely not alone."

Anxiety evaporated and Hera let herself breathe. "You turned out okay, you know that?"

Sabine laughed. "Did you doubt I would?"

Hera shot a sly, sideways glance. "Only for the first year or two."

"Now _wait_ a minute!"

Their conversation fell into a pattern of friendly bickering as they corralled the little boy and his droid and directed them toward the tower. The fears and doubts in Hera's mind fell away, forgotten as she admired Lothal's rosy sunset. Everything was okay for now and Jacen was safe and happy, and that was enough.


End file.
